Communicating joint initiatives and successes in the media will raise the profile of all parties. Good joint working on media relations is key to this.
Any joint initiatives – with public or private sector partners – should be treated as such in terms of the media relations.
With your partner, you should:
- identify who will be the lead organisation in dealing with communication
- agree on how media relations will be managed, including who will do what, spokespersons, clearance and timing
- ensure all parties are given credit for the partnership project, by naming all partners and using all logos
- avoid taking sole credit for positive outcomes or blame each other if there is a negative news story.
If the partners are not communicating well between themselves and there are no clear agreements, this will stop opportunities for positive media coverage. The media may also pick up on any perceived hostilities or infighting and this, rather than the project, could become the story.